


Is Happiness Really a Thing?

by kay_3000_aw



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, F.R.I.D.A.Y. wants it to end, Fluff and Angst, Kitchen Fluff, Lost Bucky Barnes, Lots of Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Natasha Tries, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Sorry Not Sorry, Steve is a bit over the top, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, What Have I Done, not wanda maximoff friendly, progression, there's a lot of fluff, tony stark needs a break
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:41:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29525175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kay_3000_aw/pseuds/kay_3000_aw
Summary: Fresh out of therapy, even if therapy is talks with the walls. Then, he gets trapped with a psycho bitch that wants him to become a puppet. Everything happens, then BOOM. He needs to hide with the one and only, Tony Stark. What could go wrong?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 71
Collections: Winteriron all the time





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> The summary might be kind of funny, yet this story is filled with sad shit and James trying to find himself again. The first chapter is a mixup to what is happening, then there's non stop fluff. Good luck :). (English isn't my first language so if there's mistakes, sorry)

“Listen, you need to stay away,” James yelled, shaking ferociously. His mind screamed, begging for help of some kind. He felt completely vulnerable. He knew, there was no escaping this inevitable demise. It was like talking to a wall, a wall that could kill you without a slight struggle. 

“Why? Are you scared of me, Bucky?” Wanda whispered. Her face tilting slightly, a tight smile showing through her persona. James fought for stability, feeling his legs slowly give out. He holds a tight grip on the railing. He was moments away from falling off the edge. Like anyone would care. 

“Fu- Fuck off!”

“Don’t you understand that I want to help you? Bucky, I want to free you from all of the shit you’ve been through. I could make you the guy you used to be. I could make you the guy Steve wants you to be. I could do anything!”

 _Fucking hell._ James didn’t want that. He didn’t want any of it. James desired peace, but it wasn’t like they would care. He could beg, _plead_ , for some privacy, or some sense of comfort, but he would never get it. It was like he was unheard, a ghost that couldn’t make his own decision. He just wanted a peaceful life, where he could live quietly in a home with someone to love. But, with his past, he could never get it. Kids are told tales of James’ past, adults are told about the lives he took. There was no hope for love. There was no hope for peace.

“Leave me alone, Wanda. I don’t want it!”

“You act like it’s a choice.”

“Fucking witch! Leave me the fuck alone!”

He knows he pissed Wanda off. Red emitted through her body, eyes staring deep at him. Her whole face changed into a creepy smile knowing well that she will get what she wants. Her hands danced around the magic, scarring James shitless. There was nothing worse than making Wanda mad, he reminded himself of it. All the times where Wanda tortured him came running back to him, spreading chills through James’ body.   
He always wondered how she could walk around without restraints. James can’t go five minutes without a weird look from the team. Wanda has the power to control the whole world if she wants. There was something evil in her, that she could never escape. She had a history, exactly like James. Yet, there were no weird stares or slight conversation. _Nothing_. The only person James heard talk about Wanda was Stark. He seemed to have a background with the witch, something that was never spoken with the Rogues. He wondered if Stark had a bad interaction with her, like the times James had.   
Being stuck in the situation, James didn’t know what to do. There was nowhere to go and no one to call. He had no one but himself, but today that wasn’t enough. He knew that there was no stopping the _witch_. But, there might be a possibility that James could stop her if he had someone by his side. There was nobody in the tower, except for Stark, but Stark would enjoy seeing him fall into Wanda’s fingers. Besides, Stark never gets out of the lab. After the news, it wasn’t a surprise that Stark locked himself away. The team always tried to make him talk, so they made Movie Nights and Dinners a thing. Of course, Tony didn’t bother attending, because James’ presence despised Stark. James’ understood and respected his wishes. He never asked him for repairs on his arms, or gadgets, he just simply let him live his life. _He understood him._

“James, I will change you. I will please Steve while doing it. It’s a total win for both parties. So, listen, _Winter_ ,” Her voice returned to normal when she said Winter, giving in the Sokovian accent James’ always heard in his nightmares. 

He didn’t say anything, just praying for someone to end his suffering. He hasn’t prayed for anything for a long time, so there was no way his prayers were going to be answered. James’ tried his hardest to gather his speedy mind, but he couldn’t. There were so many thoughts, precautions, hesitations. It was nagging him. But, he took a shaky breath, came into terms with himself, and jumped.  
It felt, oddly graceful, yet dooming. He knew that it was the only way to escape from her captivity, even if there were ways Wanda could get to him. She was able to control his body, saving him from the fall and moving him back up the balcony. But, she didn’t do it. All James could hear were screams and shouts. Hearing the screams from the _witch_ cleared out his mind, knocking him out like drugs. But, _fuck_ , he felt bad for the people walking by.  
There, seeing the floor about to hit him, he felt it. _Metal_. Well, that was what he thought he felt. His mind was halfway around the world and his eyes were glossed over by the tears. James tried to hold in his tears while he tried to figure out what was carrying him towards the river. James’ mouth felt like cotton, while his head felt empty and lost. He tried to focus… He saw it, the Iron Man suit. Maybe Stark wasn’t present in the suit, but that still meant that Stark helped James. He just hoped Stark was there, so he could explain why. Why he decided to jump. But, right now, the adrenaline took him out like a light, letting him sleep at the hands of the suit. 

  
Later On~~~~

Tony watched as the ex-assassin shifted in his sleep, a calm and undisturbed expression on his face. 

_Tony was tinkering on his new toys, a smile on his face. He hasn’t gotten alone time since the beginning of the week. Pepper putting him in the spotlight, SI needing Tony’s assistance, Military Officials wanting to talk, inference calls with the ambassador, he was busy. But now, being done with everything, he decided to go back to the lab. His time to relax. Well, his idea of relaxation is being covered in motor oil and working on gadgets. That, and it sometimes meant sleeping after working on something for 48 hours straight. **That sounds like a splendid idea.** _

_“Sir, there seems to be a lot of commotion on floor 117. It is concerning Barnes and Wanda. He’s too close to the balcony and it seems that he is emotionally unstable.” **Shit.**_

_Tony looked at one of the many cameras he directed for F.R.I.D.A.Y., eyes widening in fear. “Friday, what’s the possibility he’ll jump.”_

_“There is a 90 percent chance Barnes would jump. He is emotionally distressed. His heart rate is higher than usual, there is an increase in fear…”_

_“Prepare the suit, Friday.”_

_“Preparing the suit, Boss.”_

_He wasn’t going to let it happen. Rhodey was half-paralyzed because of him, he wasn’t going to let Barnes go through it. He wasn’t going to let himself go through it. There was some selfishness tucked into the reason he wants to save Barnes. He saw people hurt because of him. People were going through tougher shit and Tony couldn’t do shit about it. So, saving Barnes was one of his biggest missions at the moment. The next robot could wait._

_“Could you tune into the conversation Fri?”_

_“Of course.”_

_The computer screen lit up with the live footage of both Wanda and James. Wanda looked evil, an evil he saw when Ultron was created. That evil that haunted him every time he closed his eyes. **All my fault**. James on the other hand looked… scared. Tony never saw James scared before and it was certainly the first time he saw James alone. He was always partnered up with Steve. He understood the history they had, but Tony couldn’t even talk to Barnes without glares from them. Tony tried to talk, but every time he tried, there was Steve. Steve, Steve, Steve. **Fuck he hated Steve.** And sometimes it looked like Barnes was tired of him too. In the meetings especially, where Barnes would look as if he wanted to stab his eyes out with a pencil. Couldn’t blame him either, because the meetings always ended with someone arguing. **Every single time.**_

** _“Fucking witch! Leave me the fuck alone.”_ **

_There was so much hatred lying deep inside Tony, but it was especially with Wanda. The others loved her, so much that it was disgusting. But, Romanoff had common sense and didn’t trust her. They didn’t know about the vision Wanda imprinted in his mind. Tony had to take all of the blame, even if there was some fault in Wanda’s fault. She volunteered to become a part of HYDRA, yet Captain America gave her a small slap on the wrist. She was a part of Ultron, yet she wasn’t blamed. Then, she lives in **his** tower, using **his** technology, and Tony still gets death stares. **Funny, isn’t it.**_

**_“James, I will change you. I will please Steve while doing it. It’s a total win for both parties. So, listen, Winter,”_ **

_“Sir, I suggest going now, he’s entering the stages for a panic attack.”_

_“If I go right now, that witch will try to kill me and him. Kill two birds with one stone. We need to wait until the right time!”_

_“Barnes has just stepped back farther. Please make sure you have enough time!” The levels of concern in her voice made Tony worry more than he should. It was surprising how real her emotion sounds, even if she couldn’t comprehend real emotion. She was human, by the way, she acted. She could identify emotions, and she could learn. She was able to do so much, yet she was still learning. Nobody treated her like a viable piece of extraordinary tech. They treated her like, SIRI. SIRI wasn’t and isn’t anywhere near skilled as F.R.I.D.A.Y. is, but they still treat her like it. Only one person who respects her abilities is Barnes. Barnes is her favorite person in this tower._

_“I got this Fri!”_

_“Boss! Boss! He jumped! You have thirty seconds until he hits the ground.”_

** _Don’t fail._ **

  
He wiped his tears, trying to forget the pressure of this shit. He left the room shortly after, letting the ex-assassin sleep. 

Steve found Wanda crying, such a fake cry that Tony wanted to rip the mask out of her face. It was so fake, so unreal, and inhuman. Purely for her satisfaction, she told Steve that Tony kidnapped James, and he threatened Wanda. It was all bullshit, yet, everyone believed her. But, when F.R.I.D.A.Y. tried to show them the recording, Wanda threw a fit. She yelled and screamed, begging everyone to believe her. She kept screaming, exclaiming that the feed was tampered with. Steve believed every single lie and ate it up like soup. Steve played off the recording, saying that it was taking sides. _And to think Tony always wanted to give him a blowjob._

_No wonder Barnes was her favorite._

“Fri, is Barnes okay?”

He hasn’t heard anything from Barnes since they entered the safe-house. Of course, he did seem relaxed, but maybe he required medical assistance. “His levels are okay for a super soldier, even if it’s on the lower side. Signs of bruises are gone. It all depends on when he wakes up.”

“Should I wake up Sleeping Beauty, baby girl?”

“Not recommendable. Reports from the past nights; James had injured Clint badly, sprained Natasha’s wrists, and _failed_ to slit Steve’s throat. Due to these studies, it is shown that James has some type of trigger when it comes to being touched or woken up.”

“Have you been studying?” Tony smiled at the camera, slightly teasing. Tony knew F.R.I.D.A.Y. liked to study people, gaining information for her own needs. Yet, there was always that thought that she would want her own body one day so that she could become like her brother, Vision.

“Yes, boss.” 

“Is there anything that I should be aware of, Fri?”

“Barnes has been through a lot with the Accords, but it seems that every time he has to join the Rogues, he’s uncomfortable. Recently, there has been a lot of gossip about Winter Soldier coming back, but they seem to not notice Barnes in the back of them. Talks with Barnes- that are ultimately private- show that there are deep anxiety and depression. Since he confides in me, he showed me more to my analysis. The only person that he seems to like is Sam Wilson. That guess was extracted from the fact that Sam Wilson respects his personal space and treats him like a human being. But, Barnes has been going through a lot and he needs someone to understand him. Someone like you, right, Boss?”

“Are you seriously trying to set me up?” Tony asked, his eyes bolting towards the camera.

“Just saying, Boss. You and Barnes share trauma and pasts that most people don’t understand.”

“That doesn’t mean that I’ve gone through the levels James has been through. The guy was _brainwashed_ for 70 years!”

“I did not say you can compare to the pain, Boss. I said you share trauma with Barnes. Both lost and got hurt. My protocols aren’t advanced to study true emotion, like my brother Vision. But, during these past few months, you have a 90% compatibility rate with Sergeant Barnes.”

“Ew, Fri. I did not program you to sound like those quizzes online. The ones that children use on their crushes.”

“You and Barnes have a 97% compatibility rate, gathered from www.lovecalculator.com”

“I hate you, Fri.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I did say I was going to upload it on Wednesday, but I finished the chapter up today. Hope you enjoy it!

A few hours later~~

James felt dizzy as the sun rays hit his face. _Did nobody wake me up?_ His head was pounding out of his skull, threatening to explode. _Really, nobody woke me up?_ He looked at the clock on his nightstand, _10:30._ Then it hit him, he wasn’t in his room. He was nowhere in his room. He wasn’t even in the tower.

He began to panic, eyes darting to the furniture. He looked at the door, ceiling, everything he thought was a threat. He planned to run, but he didn’t know where to go. _Where the hell am I?_ It wasn’t a HYDRA cell, that was for sure. The walls were freshly painted and there was expensive furniture all over the place. Even if it was HYDRA, why would they put an assassin in a room with potential murder weapons and no restraints? There were even _comfy blankets_ covering him, so there was no way someone from HYDRA took him away. Unless they got a new leader that was in a hipster moment in life, but what kind of shitty organization would allow that. 

“Rise and shine, Soldat.”

_Oh no. Fuck no._ “Please tell me you’re here to kill me.”

“Nope, none of that. I’m your savior,” Stark placed his hands on his waist, “Thinking about it, you should even bow down. I am your savior goddamnit,” Stark’s laugh echoed in the spacious room. 

James chuckled, the creases on his forehead making an appearance. It was funny, but what the fuck? Why did it have to be him? There was so much he wanted to say and do, but _what the fuck?_ Stark, the guy that never spoke to him and barely acknowledged him, saved him from a fall that could’ve killed him. There was some kind of catch, because why would the billionaire save him? “Stark, you didn’t have to do that.” _You really didn’t._

“Okay, first off, don’t call me that. Call me, Tony. And, who said I wanted to? You were falling 117 stories, no sign of stopping, and I think Winter Soldier is the only person that could make the jump. Also, did you forget that your blood would be splattered on the sidewalk? Do you know how much that costs to take out?”

James slightly shifted, moving his glance towards the ceiling. He couldn’t help but think there was something else that drove Stark… _Tony_ to help. Because, why the fuck would he care about the money? He’s a _billionaire_ . “Boss doesn’t agree with his recent claim. In reality, his heart dropped 39.7% during the fall. Also, his heart rate increased 20% while stating _he doesn’t really care_. Which means…”

“Mute!” The millionaire watched James smile at him. His smile was sincere this time, not like the others. The others were overshadowed with grief and sadness. Tony knew that and James noticed. James knows Tony saw it. He noticed his arms slump, lips twitch up, eyes brighten. He saw the little motions, triggering James’ “detective” mode. “Stop it! Stop laughing at me. Okay… Okay… But in all seriousness, how would you react if you see a man fall from a tall building? You would be scared right?”

“Of course.”

“In all due respect, boss, but I chose the best team in the situation,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, slightly teasing the billionaire. James could tell F.R.I.D.A.Y. was playing around with her creator, because of the tone in which she spoke. It was playful and joyful. Something you could hear while walking down the park, hearing the kids playfully bicker with their parents. 

“Are you saying… You are blaming me for being wrong! How dare you, baby girl?!”

“Sorry, Boss.”

“I’m sorry for causing so much trouble. I really am,” James said, sincerity washing his eyes. He meant every word, from the bottom of his rotten heart. _Rotten._ There was always this void in his eyes. He knew it was there, but he did nothing about it. _What was I supposed to do?_ He would try to talk to Steve, tell him he wasn’t okay, yet he wouldn’t listen. He would tell Sam, but he couldn’t do anything to make Steve change his mind. 

He always wished for a break. At least for a day. But, they would put him to fight monsters, aliens, or whatever crazy person claimed to be. Then, he would go back home, lay down on his bed, and have Steve complaining about Tony. It was always Tony, never someone else. He always thought Steve had something with Stark because the asshole always had something to say about Tony. _Maybe it was an enemy to lovers relationship of some kind._ That was something Peter taught him. It made absolutely no sense, but, he always had that thought. If it wasn’t Steve talking to him, it was Clint wanting to spar. If it wasn’t Clint, it was Natasha. Then Sam and Wanda. He could never catch a break with them. 

He wanted someone to talk to, anybody that would help him go through it. That’s when F.R.I.D.A.Y. made her appearance. She helped him pass his panic attacks, any nightmares that he might’ve had. F.R.I.D.A.Y. constantly ended her talks with the fact that Tony would be there to help James. She told him that Tony was available every time he had a panic attack. Of course, James thought F.R.I.D.A.Y. was playing an elaborate prank on him, but he heard it all the time. Every time he would be going through something, Tony would be mentioned. When Tony would be mentioned, James always seemed to calm down. He never understood it, but he always felt peace knowing, even if it was fake, Tony would be there for James.

“No worries. I didn’t mind it. But, when you are ready to go back, you have to explain to everyone that I didn’t kidnap you. Like… you could not believe how many people think I kidnapped you! You! I mean… What?” Tony’s face became pale when he noticed James’ eyes. “Is there something wrong?”

“I… I don’t want to go back. Please… don’t.” James trembled at the thought of being with _them._ Chills were running through his body. He moved his lips in a beg, but there was no sound leaving his mouth. He was probably scaring Tony, but he couldn’t help it. He felt so much safer with Tony, even if he knew Tony might be thinking of getting revenge. Tony might be wanting to kill him or hurt him. Nevertheless, he didn’t care. He could stand the pain, but being with _them_ is like being jammed into a small cage. There was no escape and no happiness. He tried his hardest to fit in, but he couldn’t. Nothing was worse than the backlash he had in the tower. 

“James,” Tony quietly said, “What did she do to you?”

“It wasn’t only… it was _them._ I don’t want to go back.” 

“James, if you want to stay here, I need you to talk. Did she trigger you?”

“I don’t remember it, Tony… I don’t remember anything.”

“Please try to remember. I need to know… so I could do something about it. I… I heard she wanted to please Steve. What did that mean?”

James closed his eyes, trying to stop his mind from spinning. He remembers everything, yet he couldn’t say anything. _Anything at all._ He remembered the feeling of being stuck with her, the anger he felt while being there. Yet, he couldn’t quickly say it. It _hurt_ James, like slowly burning in a fire. He drew a shaky breath, then proceeded to explain, “She… She wants to use me. She wants my body. She wants to turn me into Bucky Barnes for Steve’s pleasure. Steve doesn’t think it’s a bad idea. But, I know that witch. She’ll change her mind and use me as a weapon. She’s too powerful and there’s nothing I could do about it.”

There was a small chuckle that emitted from Tony’s lips, making James look at him. Of course, James thought the wrong thing for a second, but then Tony spoke, “Goddamnit! I knew she could do it, but to think she was about to do it to you. Why can’t Steve want something normal?! Like a blowjob! That man is like… 100 years old and he’s still a virgin.”

James couldn’t help but laugh. There was a moment where Tony thought it was good that James was getting this punishment, which wasn’t going to upset him. But, Tony just wanted to make a joke about the situation. James wondered if Tony laughed and made jokes because he was nervous. He remembered the jokes he would make while he was fighting. So maybe it was a way of subtracting himself from a serious situation. Either way, he wasn’t going to blame Tony. It was his way of coping. James quickly added, “No wonder he’s so uptight.”

“Tell me about it!” Tony chuckled, “But, back to what you were saying. Why does he want Bucky back? Aren’t you Bucky?”

“Yes.”

“So then… what’s the problem?”

“He wants his boyfriend back. I don’t feel comfortable being called Bucky because I used to be so innocent. I was… always laughing. I always had some girl or guy around my arm; I had no care in the world. That’s not me anymore. I’m different. I’ve been through shit and forgot half of my past. The past I do remember… I don’t feel any emotions attached to them. I remember so much, but I still can’t _feel_.”

“I’m so sorry for all of this.”

“This isn’t your fault, Tony. Don’t worry.”

“I won’t let them catch you.”

James could detect the small smile trying to emerge from his lips. The sentence was honest, making James have trust in him. He was hesitant in leaving everything in Tony’s hands, so he tried not to feed into the feeling. Every time there was a reassuring feeling, everything went wrong. The time he spent with Steve at first, he felt the feeling. He heard the voice in his head telling him to _trust._ James’ followed that voice in his head, but it never talked again. The voice went quiet after the first mission, where James’ begged not to go. James thought that the voice lost that feeling of reassurance during that interaction. 

Now, it was back again. It was reliving the hesitation in James’ mind. The voice told him that it was okay to let go. But, James’ didn’t want to. He barely knew Tony. It wasn’t fair to dump everything into his shoulders.

They both stayed silent while the conversation came to a stop. F.R.I.D.A.Y. watched as Tony and James sat together, gradually moving closer over time. 

  * ••••••••••••••••••



“James, do you want to go out to the backyard? Heard you like to… Fuck, Fri! How the fuck do I talk to him?” Tony shouted, looking in the mirror for something to fix about his clothes. He’s been paranoid for about two hours, not knowing what the hell to say. There was mostly no interaction before and he was pretty sure James’ didn’t trust him. So, first-time talks are excruciatingly important for him. 

“Allow yourself to be you, Boss. I think he will like that.”

“What? You said what?”

“Be yourself, Boss. There is nothing else I could say.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. said. A sigh was left non-existent, but Tony could sense the sigh was there anyway. F.R.I.D.A.Y. has been at it since the beginning, telling her boss to just go and be himself. She was moments away from alerting James and telling him to talk to Tony first.

“You have to know, Friday. You know him better than I do. He’s your… client. Yeah, your client.”

“I am not a licensed therapist, therefore he is not my client.”

“Friday, just tell me what to-” Tony quietly whispered when he heard someone knocking on the door. James was the only one there, so it couldn’t be the Rogues knocking on the door. Either way, he was fucked.

“Now, talk to him.” At that point, F.R.I.D.A.Y. was blessed. She wasn’t given the gift of emotions, so she was allowed to hide her tricky plan. She did want to laugh because she found this- and what the _humans_ called- hilarious. The look on her boss’s face was entertaining when he heard the door knock. She may have not called James into Tony’s room. Although, she was never going to admit it to her boss. Now, he had to talk and stop hiding away from James.

“Did... Did you do this?” 

“Of course not, Boss. I would never do such a thing.”

Tony sighed, “You fucking did this! I’m not ready! My shirt has lint on it and a stain.”

“I would’ve believed you if you didn’t install a system that detects clothes’ defects. And, you checked your shirt at least thirty times in the past two hours. You are fine.”

Tony opened the door, a tight smile on his face as he met James’ chest area instead of his face. _Okay, shit._ His face turned red as he looked up, humiliation overtaking him slowly. So, he forgot that James was tall. That wasn’t his fault entirely, he barely interacted with James. “What… What ha-happened?” Tony stuttered, feeling more humiliated than before. _Good first impression, fucker. Oh fuck, how did I mess this up?_

“Friday alerted me, told me something was wrong. What happened?”

_Oh, I’m going to reprogram F.R.I.D.A.Y.!_ “Nothing’s wrong, James. False alarm.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll go back to my room.”

“Wait!” Tony shouted. He wanted to hit his head on the wall. He _really_ did. “Do you want to stay a bit? You barely know the place. I could show you around if you want. Or do you require privacy? I could do that too. Just say the word and I’ll leave you alone. Or…”

“I want the tour, please,” James quietly spoke. Tony nodded frantically, still questioning his response. For an ex-assassin, he sounded so small. His response was insecure and doubtful. Something Tony didn’t imagine happening. _Maybe he was broken like me._ Tony had a lot of issues, and that wasn’t unknown. Asking for stuff and choosing for himself was scary for him, in all sorts of ways. He tends to hide it from others, but there was always that slight pause when it came to ask. He hated it because it made him seem so _fucking_ pathetic.

  
  


“Alrighty then, let us go.” 

They spent their time walking through the house, exploring the nooks and crannies of the place. It wasn’t really big, that Tony could admit, but it was spacious. It was a small house hidden deep into the neighborhood, where no resident was seen walking. It did however have a huge pool and a good backyard that was beautiful for a summer day. The house was freshly painted and cleaned, and it had lots of advantages for a hideout. 

Tony never registered it into SHIELD, so it was safe from Fury and whoever else was lurking in the shadows. Even if it was registered, with a touch of a button, Tony could hide it from them anyway. He wanted a place he could go where nobody could hurt him, or get to him. This is where he hid when the Rouges left his home, and when they returned. He figured he shouldn’t use the house for that type of hideout, so he hid at his house in Florida. They found him quickly and begged him to return to the tower. _At least they didn’t find this house._

“This is the kitchen.”

Going through the house, made Tony remind himself of the times he spent crying. He realized that he cried, _everywhere._ After finishing an episode of Shameless, he would be crying in his bed, the floor, under the staircase, the bathroom, even in the damn kitchen. It was pathetic, actually. 

He had Pepper and Rhodey for some type of comfort, but they tried their best. They weren’t that good at comforting. Not because they were bad friends, opposite of that. They were just too _goddamn_ blunt. Sometimes they didn’t understand what the problem was, or how to comfort. They would tell him _just try to forgive and forget_ or simply _move on from it._ He never blamed them for not knowing because they could only do a little bit at a time. Happy wasn’t exactly the type to support, but he did try.

Peter was good at it. That damn kid was going to kill him though, with all of the sappy shit he’s going through. Tony tried to keep him away from the drama after the fallout because the kid had midterms and school stuff he had to worry about. His aunt was sick now and he had problems with this _Flash_ guy at school. Tony helped with the medication for his aunt, but he could only do so much. Now he might be worried sick about the news. Tony heard that he was now known as a kidnapper. He told himself he was going to call Peter with an untraceable call, just so he knows Tony is safe and not a kidnapper. 

Life surrounding him was falling apart, so Tony had no reason to be so _self-centered_ . Tony believed that he didn’t deserve to cry over stupid shit. He concluded that he wasn’t able to cry for something that was so small, so _dumb._

“And, that’s the end of the tour.” The tears glazed over his eyes. He didn’t notice it until James pointed it out.

“Hey, are you okay?” James walked closer to Tony, his eye’s searching Tony.

“Yep, just fine. Really fine.”

“Um, you might not want to... but, you could talk to me. Is there something bothering you?”

“Nope, nothing. Nothing at all.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine! I’m fucking fine. Could you… Could you leave me alone?”

Tony witnessed James’ blue eyes slowly turn bleak, an empty emotion in them. He didn’t mean it that way, he really didn’t. He just didn’t want James to worry about his problems. If he told James’ about his thoughts, his inner demons would prevent him from stopping his mouth. Tony would just pile up more worries into the soldier’s mind, making things worse. “I’m sorry, James. I didn’t mean it like that-”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just go.” 

  
Tony watched as James walked into the hallway, slowly returning to his room. Tony let out the air in his lungs he didn’t know he had and walked back into his room. He shut the door, and slowly slid down to the floor. He struggled to catch his breath while the tears in his eyes flowed out. _Good first impression, fucker._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ended it on a sad note. Promise you it's going to get better over time, but it's going to take a whole lot more communication ;). I have changed my scheduling for Wednesday and Sunday! Kudos and comments are appreciated! Thank you, goodbye!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I kinda changed the additional tags so that it fits better with the story. I was planning for this story to be short and sweet, but now, my story is taking a twist (you'll understand when you read it) from the original idea. I have no idea where I'm taking this fic, or what I'm going to do with it, so stay with me. I did say there was a lot of fluff and it will come soon, but now it is still sad and angsty. Sorry, not sorry :).

It was Saturday and James sat on his bed, eyes staring straight at the ceiling. Glossed over eyes and voices in his head that overthought everything accompanied James. But, he still looked up at the ceiling. Nothing was interesting about this specific ceiling, even if it was a good-looking ceiling. James looked at his clock,  _ 3:30,  _ then back at the roof. He’s been doing this for about three hours, just creepily watching the ceiling and looking at the clock, as if it were about to attack him.  _ Nothing to do.  _ He already took a shower, took the liberty to wash his hair with the shampoo and conditioner that Tony had (that made his hair extremely soft), and drew something. So, he did everything he had to do. It was the day where everything was silent, the sun was hidden by the clouds, and there was absolute nothingness around the house. 

Sure, he could talk to Tony, but James didn’t want to interrupt. His mind requested him to talk to Tony, at least so that Tony could get to explain what was wrong, but James’ stubbornness prevented him. If Tony did not want to talk to him, then that was something James could accomplish. Besides, James wasted months in the tower and not even a small  _ hello  _ came out of the billionaire’s mouth _.  _ He spent his time wishing for a conversation with Tony so that he could discuss the clouds or something that seemed fitting. But, there seemed to be no opening for a discussion.

For example, this morning James headed to the kitchen for some cereal. He thought he would be alone since it was early in the morning, but he wasn’t. Tony was there, serving himself cereal as well. Tony looked like he was caught red-handed, eyes dashing to the other side of the room where James was. Tony’s hair was flopped all over his head, not like before where he styles it. His eyes brightened softly under the moonlight that shined through the windows, making James feel emotions that he shouldn’t be feeling. 

That was something that James wouldn’t hide. Tony was  _ beautiful _ . Something about Tony made James want to drop everything and stay with him. Maybe it was his long eyelashes that fluttered when he laughed or the adorable pout he always put when he didn’t get the things he wanted. Or maybe it was the fact that he fits perfectly underneath James. Either way, he was never going to admit it.  _ Never.  _ It was embarrassing because James  _ knows  _ Tony won’t like him like that. He was a  _ monster  _ with no soul. He hated having emotions because he knew there was no hope between him and Tony.

James slowly went to grab a bowl, not trying to meet Tony’s eyes. He served himself some of the cereal and sat down at the kitchen table. James began to eat, but he was nervously watching Tony. He wanted to talk to him, but all of the words seemed to gather in his throat. His mind quickly tried to come up with discussion prompts, but  _ what the hell was he supposed to talk about?  _ Tony left suddenly after washing his plate, leaving James with the sudden urge to run up to him and say  _ hello _ . But, he didn’t. 

James slowly turned his head, looking at the window in front of him. It was the afternoon and there he was, laying down on the comfy bed, about to have a damn breakdown. “Friday, I’m bored.”

Surprisingly, F.R.I.D.A.Y. delayed her response, as if she was busy with something else, “How could I assist you on that?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t been so bored before.”

“There are lots of shows on the television. It is in the living room. Would you like me to direct you over there?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked.

“No, I know where to go,” James answered back, finally getting up from his bed. He stretched out his limbs and headed down to the living room. He examined the hall and the small decorations that it had. It wasn’t so decorated and the house seemed brand new. Maybe it was bought recently because it had no memorabilia about Tony or his family. At the tower, there were pictures of his friends and some pictures of Peter winning an award. There were memories of everything Tony loved most, at least on his floor. James attended his floor once for a mission, and he noticed from the pictures on his wall, how much love Tony holds for his friends. 

He halted steps away from the living room. “There’s nothing on the T.v., Fri. I think the signal’s low. I tried Netflix but it still doesn’t operate.”

“I’m afraid the Wifi and the signal is down, boss.”

“What? How could my wifi be down? I literally invented my own Wifi network!”

You could substantially hear the laugh out of the AI’s dialogue, “I don’t know, boss.”

James didn’t know what to do. He could go to the living room and try to talk to him. Or he could go back to his room, where he was safe, and be bored again. James never felt so nervous in his life. It was like going into a job interview without being prepared. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to make a conversation, but he was hoping Tony could start it if he chose to walk in. 

“James, are you okay?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked.  _ Oh no. _

“James? He’s here?” Tony questioned. James quickly ran into his room but got stopped by Tony, “Hey! Wait!”

James looked like a small toddler by the way he ran, trying to not get caught by the big monster that was chasing him. Not that Tony was a monster, but James was deeply afraid at that moment. He’s confronted, monsters, evil people that want to kill other people, aliens from another planet, but nothing compared to the  _ dangerous  _ Tony Stark. That man now makes James queasy and nervous  _ every time  _ James sees him walk by. He processed the decision in his mind and stopped running.  _ It won’t be good if he thinks I’m avoiding him.  _ “Hey, Tony.”

Tony’s hand went on his chest, “Hold on... because I think I… lost my breath.” James waited until Tony caught his breath, slowly letting out the air he didn’t know he had. That voice in his head returned this week.  _ Trust him.  _ James didn’t want to trust Tony, but what did he have to lose? He was a whole lot better staying in a house with a stranger than a couple of weirdos and a bitch that could kill him in a second. “Are you okay? I haven’t seen you around a lot and when I do, you don’t want to talk to me. Is everything okay? Are you comfortable with the bed? I could… change it if you want. Or I could redecorate the whole room-”

“I’m fine, seriously. I am very thankful for what you gave me. Just a bit bored.”

“Oh! I get it,” Tony said cheerfully, his lips forming a smile, “If you want we could... do something. I’ve been feeling bored too… the weather isn’t cheerful, so I guess that’s it.”

“I would like that,” James said, but then he quickly added, “If it bothers you, then no. I don’t-”

“Nonsense! I’m about to go insane if I don’t talk to someone.”

James quickly registered that comment.  _ Doesn’t he spend days without human contact?  _ Tony would be in his lab for  _ days  _ and he would never leave it. Sometimes he could hear Pepper shouting from the stairwell, asking Tony to leave the comfort of the lab. He could also hear Rhodey screaming at him because he didn’t want to get some sunlight in his system.  _ So, was it because of the change of scenery?  _ There’s a possibility Tony is feeling the same way James was feeling. All this time, James only wanted to be alone, at least for a day. But now, he wanted someone there to talk to. He wanted someone to take him out of the misery called  _ boredom.  _

“What are we going to do?”

After that interaction, they spent hours talking about nonsense. James and Tony spent a week not talking, just slight waves and nods, but now they were talking like straight-up best friends. They walked through the backyard and talked about the weather. They played some video games (because the wifi magically started to work again), ordered some pizza, and made sure the delivery man didn’t see anything that could give their location away. Then they finally settled in and watched a movie. 

“I can’t believe you haven’t seen this movie before.”

“I don’t think so. I haven’t caught up with the shows and movies. Although, Peter did tell me to see this one. It was  _ fundamental.”  _ James made air-quotes with his fingers, making Tony laugh. Not that James was creepy, but  _ Tony’s smile was pretty _ . So, what, there was nothing wrong with that. And there was nothing wrong with the fact that his heart fluttered a bit when he heard Tony’s laugh.  _ Nothing wrong with that.  _

“It’s true. Toy Story is the most moving animation! Seriously, you could search it up. Then we’ll watch Titanic because I want to see if you would cry to that movie.”

“Fine. Why not?”

They turned off the lights and set the T.v. to “movie mode”. They sat on the couch and ate the popcorn and the leftover pizza they had before. James and Tony sat on opposite sides of the couch, but Tony’s legs were placed on James’ lap. James didn’t know where to put his arms, so he sat awkwardly for about 10 minutes. Then he relaxed, slumping his shoulders and placing his hands on top of Tony’s legs. 

  
  


  * •••••••••••



Tony quietly closed the door, sighing happily to himself. “Friday! Did you see it? I spent the whole day with him and I didn’t fuck it up. You should be proud of me.”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. thought her boss was acting like a complete child. She was proud that they finally spent time together because she could finally focus on important matters. It was like her boss forgot that he was still being searched by the Rogues and that he was in danger. Yet, she was- at least she thought she was- happy. Happy that her two idiots were interacting as they should be. “Of course, Boss. I did see it.”

“Oh good, I thought it was a dream. Anyways, did you set up that call yet?”

He was looking forward to the call. It was the first time Tony could be talking to Peter since the situation happened. He needed to know that Peter was safe and healthy. He needed updates on Aunt May so that he could send money for medication or at least do something for her. Tony had a lot on his hands and some days he hoped he would get a break, but right now, all he wanted was a talk with the person he considered his son. He also wanted to call Harley, but that kid would turn him over to the cops as a redemption prank. Tony may have sent him a snake (which was not venomous at all) and sent him a note saying  _ happy prank wars.  _ So, just to be safe, he wasn’t going to contact him yet.

“Yes, the call will be made and it’ll be untraceable and private. You could call Peter and there should be no problems.”

_ No problems _ . Tony hoped there wouldn’t be any problems considering the circumstances. They couldn’t afford fucking up the secrecy. If the Rogues find them, it’ll be game over. There were so many dangers, Tony knew this.  _ Spider-man _ could be there with the officials. Peter could be hanging out with his friends, or the call wasn’t untraceable. There were so many risks, but Tony wanted it. He needed to talk to the kid.

James was easy to hide and move to another location. Tony could serve some time in jail, even if he’s risking 20 years in prison. James and Peter were his priority, so Tony could rot in jail if he needed to.

“Good. Great! Okay, call him now. He should be awake, it’s summer anyway.”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. dialed the number in her memory bank and waited for the phone to be picked up. One… Two… Three rings. Peter picked up the phone, talking quietly into it, “H-Hello.”

“Peter! Hey!” 

“Mr. Stark! Is… is this you?” Peter’s voice sounded raw as he spoke.

“Pete, what’s going on? You sound like you’ve been crying.”

“It’s May. She… she left me. She fucking left me! I was right there, Mr. Stark. I was talking to her! S-She was talking to me about my future! She was okay! T-Then she said she was tired and... the heart monitor stopped. She left me! S-She promised me she wasn’t going to leave me!” Peter cried loudly through the phone, which made F.R.I.D.A.Y. lower the volume. Tony could hear Peter struggle for a breath. _ Oh, fuck no. _

Tony struggled to stay calm. His legs threatened to give out and his fingers trembled.  _ I should’ve been there.  _ Peter was going through this alone. It was all Tony’s fault. May made him promise to keep Peter from falling apart. Now, when Peter needed him the most, he wasn’t there. He was not keeping his promise. He wasn’t there with him.  _ Another goddamn fuck up. _ “Peter, where are you? Let me-” 

“Mr. Stark, you... can’t do... anything. You are... portrayed as a criminal!”

“I could pick you up. You need to stay somewhere, or a social worker will take you. I can’t… I can’t let that happen. I told May I would take care of you, so I need to pick you up!”

“Did you… Did you kidnap Mr. Barnes?”

“I didn’t kidnap him! I- Friday, could you call him through Facetime,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. made the call and after a certain time, Peter answered the call, “Look, I’ll show you.”

All he could see was Peter’s sadness emitted through his expression. It was taunting and he knew exactly how he was feeling. Peter was sitting in the corner of a room. The room was bright, but he was under a blanket that kept Peter completely in the dark. 

Tony knocked on the door, waiting for James to answer it. He couldn’t be asleep and Tony knew that. James was either crying or doing something else that he said he was going to do. Tony knocked again, louder than before. “What’s wrong?”

“Come on!”

James walked through the familiar halls and followed Tony. Tony was frantically crying, tears falling down his face and his face became puffy and red. But as they approached the room, Tony quickly wiped the tears away. He wasn’t going to let Peter down. 

“Look, if this is about Titanic, I found it a bit sad, but not that much.” Tony didn’t respond to that comment and just kept walking. He couldn’t believe he wasn’t there with Peter. He felt so guilty, so ashamed. The kid could be afraid, all by himself with nobody to talk to. Tony was a  _ horrible _ father figure for Peter.

They entered the room and suddenly James panicked, “What’s wrong with Peter?”

“Mr. Barnes! A-are you alright?”

“Of course I am! What happened to you?”

“People think you got kidnapped… by Mr. Stark. Are… you alright?” Peter asked, ignoring James’ question. 

James’ expression was angry, confused, and distressed all at the same time. Tony stood there, slowly letting out a sigh. “Why the hell do they think that?”

“I fucking told you… They think I captured you! Wanda told them I kidnapped you, and when Friday showed the recordings, they said Friday was choosing sides!”

“It ain’t my fault you haven’t talked to me for a whole week! I forgot about that. I just didn’t want to go back. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Well then, fuck off! And I didn’t talk to you for the whole week because you didn’t talk to me. All because I told you to leave me alone. You know you’re a total asshole right?”

“I’m the asshole? You’re the asshole! I was just trying to help you out. You were about to cry,” James angrily said, “Your response was rude and I was only trying to help, piece of shit.”

“Oh don’t you dare call me a piece of shit! You are the piece of shit! So what if I was crying? Would it be right to leave me all alone in my room? No! It wasn’t a good idea! Because then I felt like a piece of shit!”

“I’ll have you know-”

“Guys!” Peter shouted, F.R.I.D.A.Y. purposely making it louder. Peter giggled a bit, then continued, “Do you guys fight like this? Like all the time?” 

“No! He started talking to me today!” Tony playfully said, to make Peter laugh. It seemed that James understood as well because he played along. Tony saw that James was following along because he gave him a small nod and kept going.

“That’s because you said you wanted me to leave you alone! Ugh, could you see how complicated Tony is, Peter? It’s hard to live with.”

“I’m hard to live with? Me! You think living with  _ me  _ is hard?”

“Yes, I do! Like this morning, you barely talked to me!”

“It was four in the morning! And we were both caught eating cereal! I thought you were going to talk to me first, like a normal human.”

“Do I need to... reprimand you like children?” Peter asked, a smile on his puffy face. “Do I?” 

Tony was glad he was smiling, at least for a while. It was hard losing someone, he knew it. Sometimes there would be guilt overwhelming the system, making people wish that they could have done something about it. It was worse seeing the person die in your hands and asking yourself  _ how? How did it happen? They were fine a minute ago.  _ It hurt. But, Tony wasn’t going to leave Peter alone, he couldn’t let that happen.

“No,” Tony and James said, playfully glaring at each other.

“Hey, Pete. I need you to tell me where you are. We’ll pick you up and you’ll stay here until everything settles down.”

“I won’t... do that, Mr. Stark. Steve and Wanda are... enraged and they want to hurt you. If you come back, people will... put you in jail.”

“Jail won’t affect me, kid. Besides, I know how to hide. People thought I died for weeks! I’m fine.”

“They’ll put Tony in jail?” James questioned. He looked at Tony, all of his playful charisma vanishing. Tony understood that James thought there was a small price to pay for hiding him. Like a slap on the wrist, or in this case, a kick in the ribcage. But, he knew James considered jail was way too much. 

Tony never wanted to tell James about the legal issues he’ll be getting into after everything is fixed. Some videos could be testified against Wanda. There was a possibility James could testify on Tony’s behalf. But, Steve wouldn’t allow that. Tony  _ will _ get jail time, that was non-negotiable. 

Tony was the person that had power, so if he did get in trouble with the law, he wouldn’t have someone to save him. Sure, he had Pepper and Rhodey, but that wasn’t  _ enough. _ The jury is going to see all of the issues he had in the past. They’ll see that James had problems with Tony before, and they would find him guilty. 

Steve and the others had Tony when they were about to go to a grimy cell cage. But, Tony had nobody. Steve would be glad to see him rot in a cage if it meant his  _ lover  _ comes back.

“Yeah, they have an order on you. Steve... is going insane without Mr. Barnes here.”

“Peter, go tell Steve I’m coming back to the tower. Tell him to-”

“I’m not letting you do that! What the fuck, James. Peter, don’t!”  _ Even if you leave, I’m still alone. _

“Tell him I’m coming back! Fucking tell him to drop the accusations and leave Tony alone. Tell him!”

“No, don’t fucking do it, Peter. Don’t!” Tony argued. He wasn’t going to let that happen either. Tony had his stake up, that was for sure, but why would they end there. Tony put  _ everything _ on the line for James, and now he was backing down because Tony was facing jail time. Tony believes that he needed to get the job done and he wasn’t going to let James ruin it. All the pity James is feeling could wait. “What the fuck? You know Wanda’s going to hurt you! Don’t do it for me, you fuck! Worry about yourself for once in your life. Peter, that’s an order! Don’t do it!”

“I’m doing this for you, Tony!” James placed a flesh hand on his shoulder, his eyes washed with a slight beg.

“I took the damn decision to keep you safe. I told myself I was going to help! So let me do what-”

“Not when there’s your reputation in the line! You have a life, family, friends! You can’t-”

“Shut up!” Peter cried, “Stop screaming.” 

He knew that it was wrong. Fighting in front of the kid was immature, but there was no way Tony was letting James go disturb his plan. He was going to save James and Peter. He didn’t care about the consequences on his behalf. All he cared about was the  _ goddamn  _ safety.

“James, I am not letting you sacrifice everything for me. She’ll turn you into  _ her _ soldier. Aren’t you understanding?” He said, lowering his voice so that Peter doesn’t get aggravated again. The last thing he needed was the kid getting stressed out. He probably already did that, but he couldn’t see Peter angry because of him.

“You have a damn family! I have nothing! You can’t just lose everything because of me. I can’t allow it.”

“James, I told you I was going to save you from them. That was a damn promise… I gave you my word! I will not allow you to back down because for once in your life, you decide your life isn’t fucking valuable. Now, give me a fucking second so that I could make a plan. You aren’t… I’m not letting you go that easily, Barnes. Either you go and fuck yourself, or you stay with me here. Safe and  _ free.  _ Don’t fucking worry about me, because you know I will find a way to avoid all of this shit,” James opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and shook his head. “Now, Peter, where are you?”

“May’s house. I’m in her… room now. I was just looking at the pictures she left open on her bed.”

Tony stuttered, trying not to cry again, “U-um, I need you to… stay there please. I’ll pick you up after I find out what I'll do. Any calls you receive that are blocked, please pick up. We need to keep in contact. Also, please don’t say anything about this. I’ll try to fix this before the summer ends, because of school and all of that shit.”

“O-okay.”

“Don’t tell Rogers and Maximoff about this either. I need to keep James out of there until I find a way to pin the situation on them. During that time, I need you to pack up everything you own. Place it in a suitcase and use the device that Scott gave you. You know, the shrinking thingy.”

“Y-yeah, I-I know.”

“There, that’s it. Could you do that for me? I need some time, Peter. All I’m asking for is time. Would you do that for me?”

“Yeah, Mr. Stark. I could.”

“Good.”

  
He was going to save both of them.  _ Whatever it takes.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave comments and kudos! They are highly appreciated. They make me more motivated to write too. Anyways, goodbye :).


	4. Chapter Four

Tony was up early in the morning, barely blinking away from his computer. His eyes were attached to the information in front of him, eyes examining the dozens of codes. This wasn’t something that he did _._ He would stay up until midnight, working on machinery and shit like that. He told himself he wasn’t going to utilize technology after midnight because it makes him exhausted and unproductive. It was _routine,_ stay up until dawn, then sleep through the whole day _._ But, ever since he went in hiding with James, he wakes up at 8:00 am and goes to take a nap at noon, then sleeps at 9:00 pm. It wasn’t _natural_ for him.

Today was… different to say the most. Tony wasted the whole time staring at his computer, not taking his eyes off it _at all._ Research and planning was the only thing that was on his mentality. After the interaction with Peter, he wasn’t able to rest at all. Tony hasn’t slept for _days._ Nearly a straight week without sleeping, but Tony didn’t care. Although Tony’s mind beseeched for a break, he tried his best to keep going. Tony understood that he wasn’t able to sleep until he finished his research. 

He hasn’t seen James since the beginning of the week. Tony wished he didn’t do something stupid, like an escape from the home, and headed back to the Rogues. If he did, F.R.I.D.A.Y. would say it. Tony figured it was because James was avoiding him again and that wasn’t farfetched. James might be pissed off and he needed to let out some steam. _He understood._ But, not seeing him for a week got a bit too concerning.

“Is James awake?” Tony interrogated, walking down the hall. His hands were full, a laptop in one and coffee in the other. _Thank you to the people who made coffee._ Tony might’ve drunk more than he should have. As if he actually cared. _Why_ would he care about his health?

That laptop in his hand was the key to everything he was going to do. Finally, after a week, Tony found it. He was done with the hotel registration and escape routes, just in case, they get caught. The Tipper motel had a way to pay in cash, which was amazing for this mission. It was close to the tower as well, so Tony was sure to use that to his advantage. And, the escape routes were rooted all over the place. Tony established a way to safely go and get Peter from his home. That will buy him enough time to plan his next step. 

Everything was ready to go. He had everything prepared for a decent _rescue_ mission. All he needed to do was consult it with Barnes. 

“He is still sleeping, boss. There’s a chance he won’t wake up soon.”

“I need to wake him up.”

“That is not recommendable. Must I remind you about the risks?” Tony didn’t have an opportunity to answer because F.R.I.D.A.Y promptly declared it. “James does not like it. He has a trigger when it comes to waking up. The Rogues are an example of that. Romanoff sprained-” 

_Risks_ aren’t something that Tony is required to worry about. He knew the history but he predicted it was different. James was in an area where he could not be harmed. Tony hoped James felt that way at least. If he was in a place that he believed to be safe in; he shouldn’t be afraid.   
  
“I don’t _care_ about the dangers,” Tony said, rolling his eyes.

“I would propose some variety of warnings, but you don’t listen to me. Just don’t get murdered, Boss.”

“Friday... you know what, never mind.”

Tony walked to the room, momentarily hesitating. _Should I open it?_ There was a vast possibility Tony would die. F.R.I.D.A.Y. processed her bet as a 90% chance her boss wasn’t going to make it out alive. Tony, on the other hand, was more optimistic. If his thinking process was still accurate, the odds were in his favor. _If he wasn’t safe, he would attack. If he was safe, he wouldn’t._ So, he believed his chances were 50/50. He stopped being so afraid, placed the smile on his face, and opened the door. 

He stood next to the entrance, looking at James. His smile became more sincere each time he walked closer. He might look like a creep, glancing at James like that. He didn’t care though, because he looked so _goddamn pretty_. 

Tony wondered what James was dreaming of. Or what he thought about the situation. Tony always thought about James’ opinions over aspects. _Was everything okay? Did I pack your favorite clothes? Is there something wrong with the house? Is the room too small? Do you need anything? Are the weapons I gave you well enough to work with?_ James still didn’t know about the weapons. It was something Tony was keeping a secret. 

F.R.I.D.A.Y. did inform him that his nightmares were decreasing and he was getting enough sleep. F.R.I.D.A.Y. also commented on James’ eating habits. He was eating more than what he consumed in the tower. He would skip out on meals, but it was typical because his serum allows him to survive days without eating. And, looking at James, Tony noticed James was calmer. He discovered that James loved to take care of his hair since it looked soft and cleaned up. It was pretty, and it made James look remarkable. _Not_ that Tony thought he looked remarkable. _Well._

Tony stepped closer to him, sitting gradually on an empty spot. He positioned his laptop and coffee mug on the nightstand. “Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up,” Tony murmured, his voice afraid to go any higher.

James didn’t react at all. He didn’t even move a muscle. Tony called out, higher than previously, “Wake up.”

No response. At this point, he thought James was deceased. It was kind of concerning because Tony was told that agents were taught to be woken up by a noise. Natasha told him that agents were taught to sleep anywhere too. _Maybe he felt really safe?_

Tony placed himself closer, putting a hand on James’ shoulder. He knew that James’ metal arm wasn’t able to take in heat, so that wouldn’t wake up the sleeping assassin. Tony didn’t want to shake James awake. So, he had nothing better to do than to wait and slowly lift him from the deep sleep. James did, however, shift slightly, directing his body closer to Tony.

Tony did not know what overtook him because as he blinked, his hands were engulfed in James’ hair. It was so soft, it felt like a pile of feathers was stroking his fingers. Tony figured it wasn’t something he should be doing, but who the _heck_ cared? His hair was too _goddamn soft_ to let go. 

“Wake up.”

Still no answer. He _was_ a deep sleeper. It was insane. “James. Wake up,” Tony uttered in his ear, unhurriedly brushing away the threads of hairs that were on top of it.

James hummed slightly, eyes fluttering under the lids. His hands gradually turned into fists, pulling the bed sheets violently. Tony observed James’ actions, rapidly understanding that something was wrong. “It’s just me, James. It’s Tony. You need to wake up, okay.” _Don’t hurt me, while you’re at it,_ went unsaid.

There was a brief pause, then James woke up, bolting into a sitting position. Tony swiftly moved his hands, breathing becoming uneven and rigid. _Don’t kill me._ James' eyes were panicked and glossed over, looking all over the room as if he was calculating the space in front of him. James’ shoulders were tense and his back was straighter than an arrow. His chest moved frantically as his head snapped towards Tony.

_Shit._ It was something that Tony has never noticed before. James’ looked pale and disoriented, but he still didn’t move. James didn’t try to hurt him or torture him. It was as if James was fighting himself on the inside. He was out of _our_ reality and he was just _fighting_ for stability. At that moment, Tony felt afraid. He wasn’t afraid of James; he really wasn’t. He didn’t give a shit about getting hurt anymore. He was afraid _for_ James. 

“Hey... i-it’s just me. There’s nothing that could hurt you,” Tony reassured, putting his hands up slowly. He wanted James to be comfortable around him. If everything goes okay and James doesn’t hurt him, that will mean he’s done his job. “It’s just me. You are with me because you need a place to stay. You are safe.”

“Safe,” James repeated, convincing himself of it. His eyes were still washed over, but he let go of the sheets in his hold. He turned his stare back towards the wall.

“Yes… safe.”

It took another moment until James slumped his shoulders and directed his glance towards Tony. James’ face kept a small smile plastered on it, “Good morning.”

_What?_ “Um, good morning.”

  * ••••••



He was safe. There was nothing wrong. _Everything was alright._

  
  


“Are you okay?”

James tilted his head, processing the question. _Was he okay?_ He barely knew. When he felt himself wake up, he felt a slight warmth emitting from the top of his head. It felt _heavenly_ as he woke up, but then he noticed he _was_ awoken. There was a hushed voice telling him to _wake up,_ but the voice wasn’t recognizable. It wasn’t HYDRA, or Steve, nobody like that. James knew that, but his mind wasn’t allowing him to focus on the voice. His mind was telling him to _trust._

His brain couldn’t recognize the soft voice, or the soft tickle that was made at the top of his ear. He didn’t understand why it felt good or the reason the feeling was there. But, he didn’t want to open his eyes. He wanted to feel that touch, even if he could be in danger. That was the problem, although there was a possibility James could be in danger, he didn’t want to leave the comfort that he felt. His mind just made him _lean_ on the feeling, slowly taking in the feeling that gave him such _joy._

_“It’s just me, James. It’s Tony. You need to wake up, okay.”_

James knew that voice, it was _Tony_ . _Is he okay? Why is he waking me up? Are the Rogues here? Are they hurting Tony?_ He felt panic quickly come back as he allowed the questions to overflow his mind. James could feel it all over his body, slowly spreading through his body. It wasn’t something James didn’t feel before. That fear was always inside him and it was slowly killing him. 

He felt himself wake up, feeling that comforting heat fled away from his head.

_Where am I? Why am I here? What is that? Where are the weapons? Did I hurt someone?_ He couldn’t apprehend the questions in his mind because two more were expected. He felt as if his skull was tearing apart. He could feel his hands frozen, not being eligible to move from the bedsheets. James could feel his body stiff and defensive, even if he couldn’t notice anything that could be harming him.

There was a ridged breath and James’ head snapped towards it. He was protesting his urge to assassinate because he saw _Tony_ in front of him. _Trust… Trust him. You could trust him._ James fought with himself, attempting to control his metal hand from killing _his friend._ The main friend made him feel welcomed and _safe. Safe, he was safe._ He needed to grasp himself because he _knew_ he was safe. 

Inside, he was practically dead. He didn’t have a family, his only friend from the ’40s was an asshole, and he was stuck in a decade that he barely knew. Yet, _Tony_ and his AI made everything bearable. He took James in, even if that meant Tony would go to jail. His AI took care of all the nightmares he’s been through. It was always Tony and F.R.I.D.A.Y. They made him feel _less shitty._

James believed he wasn’t going to find happiness. He barely knew what that meant. But, after everything he’s been through, Tony made it better. James placed a smile on and said _good morning._ At the end of the day, Tony deserved everything and he was the only person James had.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good. Good. Really good actually.”

He seemed frightened as he spoke, hurting James in his _rotten_ heart. He didn’t mean to scare him. “I’m sorry, Tony. I probably scared the living heck out of you, right? I should’ve told you I-”

“Do you have nightmares?” Tony asked, his eyebrows knitting together. Tony does that when he focuses, something that James caught on after another week of not talking with him. James did try to talk to him, but there was nothing he could do to separate him from the computer. _His eyes were glued on that thing._

“No. Not anymore. I used-”

“Do you feel pain? As in headaches or something?”

“Y-Yes. I guess. Usually when-”

“Do you have any physical pain? Joints or heartache?”

“N-No but-”

“Is there something that you are fighting? Like inside you?”

“Tony, what is this about?” James asked, confusion covering his expression. He didn’t want to answer the last question, because there _was_ something he was fighting inside him. Something deep inside him that wanted to kill, then another telling him to trust. He was tired of it telling him to _fight._

He never wanted to tell anyone because why would he? People, including Tony, would think it’s the Winter Soldier coming back. But, that wasn’t the case. He remembered Winter fighting the same voices. He remembered the times Winter would spend screaming and crying, pleading for those voices to stop. James (even if he wasn’t in control of his own body) felt Winter’s inpatients during those times. It wasn’t Winter, it was something else.

“You were fighting something James. Something that wasn’t in your power to control. I could see it by the way you stood. Your eyes were glossed over and your body was frozen to the touch.”

“How… How do you know about my skin? I didn’t touch you.” _I never told anyone about this._

“I… I touched you, James. I needed to wake you up. When you were asleep, everything was fine. But, when you woke up, there was a slight transition. You became cold and weary… I know you are fighting something James, but you need to talk to me. What was it?”

“Nothing, Tony. Drop it,” James stood up from his bed and walked towards the bathroom. He didn’t want to say anything. Everybody placed words in his mouth when he tried to explain. Sam, Romanoff, they all confused the shit out of the situation. They placed him in a cage for weeks and made experiments on him. They couldn’t risk having _Winter_ around, so they acted like James was an animal. Those damn experiments hurt like _hell,_ but nobody could risk _it_ coming back.

“James. James, wait!” Tony jogged closer to him, “That wasn’t why I woke you up, James. I… I made my plans. I could pick up Peter safely, without anybody knowing.”

“Will… Are we going together?” 

A slight string of silence waited out, then Tony spoke, “It’s safer having you stay here, James. If I get caught, even if there isn’t that possibility, you will have to go back. Wanda… I won’t know if you are okay. I won’t know if she got to you or… or they killed you. I wouldn’t know anything. If… if you stay here, I won’t tell. They’ll have a hard ass time finding you. You’ll be safe.”

“Tony, I-”

“I won’t let you risk it, James. You stay here and that’s final.”

“I was going to say-”

“Please don’t fight it. I-”

“Shit Tony! Could you just let me speak?!” James ran his fingers through his hair. He sighed loudly, then continued, “I was going to say, okay. I understand and will let you go. But, promise me you’ll call. At least so that I know you’re okay.”

“Yeah of course. I’ll send a code that Friday will send over to you. If I last more than three hours without sending the code, that means I’m captured. Friday would most likely be shut off, so promise me you won’t do something stupid. Other than that, you stay here and wait. If they find you, run.”

“I promise you I won’t do something stupid,” James said, a melancholy smile on his lips. He didn’t want Tony to leave. James didn’t want Tony to go off (by himself) and find himself in front of Steve and his group. But, James understood that Tony _needed_ to leave. Peter, that poor kid, was alone and scared. Peter didn’t have anybody. 

James knew what that was like. Having nobody to talk to, losing everything that once mattered. The only person that the kid had was Tony. And Tony (with the biggest heart James’ has ever seen) is offering to help. James understood how much Tony wanted to help. But, he offered more than he could give. Tony would spend so much of his time worrying about others, that it became a bit hypocritical when Tony would ask James to worry about himself. James saw the things that negatively impacted Tony when he worried a lot about others. For example, insomnia. James knew about Tony not sleeping, but every time he would talk to him about it, Tony would ignore him by staring into the laptop. He wasn’t even sure Tony knew that he tried to talk to him. 

“Okay then. Just so you know, I left everything there for you. Food, movies, bare necessities. I’ll come back in about 2 weeks?” Tony said that in a question, “Friday will be there to help you.”

“Alright-”

“There’s also one more thing I wanted to say. Uh… sorry I cut you off,” Tony laughed, “What I wanted to say was thank you. Um… I might sound like a sap but I’ve really gotten to know you and I feel like you know me a bit. I forgave you for… everything. A long time ago, actually. But, if I don’t come back, please be safe. I don’t want you worrying or feeling guilty because this isn’t your fault. You are the victim here and you have to acknowledge it. Stop worrying about others and focus on yourself. When I come back, I hope you aren’t engulfed with self-pity,” Tony laughed again, sorrow seeping into his face.

_Fuck._ “Don’t make me cry, idiot. You are coming back with Peter. Who else would I want to ignore me?”

“You didn’t talk to me this whole week. What are you talking about?”

“I would have talked to you if you weren’t on that stupid laptop that whole time. I did talk to you, asshole! You ignored me and I felt like I was talking to a wall. Not cool, man.”

“That… That was you? I thought it was my mind telling me to go to sleep.”

“Does your mind sound like my voice?”

“Not exactly, but it does do that when I’m exhausted.”

They both laughed, quietly returning to their own thoughts. “Hey… when are you leaving?”

“Right now actually. I just needed my suit to update.”

James nodded, trying to process it. He was leaving today. _So soon. If I wasn’t woken up in time, would he have left without saying goodbye?_ James turned his head towards the hallway and back at Tony. He didn’t want him to leave. He felt so _goddamn selfish_ but he wanted more time. At least a second more with him. To tell him how grateful he is for having him. He wanted to tell him the things Tony did for him. How he made him feel more _liked._ He felt comfortable eating cereal at 3 in the morning without worrying about the comments other people had for him. Tony listened to him and didn’t blame his problems on the possibility that Winter Soldier was coming back. Tony received him with open arms, not a care in the world. Tony wanted him to be _safe_. He’s done more than everyone who cared for James. He’s done more than the dozens of therapists James visited and the examinations he went through. Tony did everything and so much more.

A tear slipped his eyes as he moved in closer, slowly so that he wouldn’t frighten Tony. He felt _blessed._ So _goddamn_ blessed for having someone like Tony. He was broken, just like James. But he did everything in his power to help.

James slowly wrapped his arms around Tony, leaving his worries and cautious voices for another time. He placed his head on Tony’s shoulder, quietly sobbing into it. He was falling apart in front of someone, something he never did. There was always this hesitation for something like this. James faced a situation where it was _mandatory_ to cry. It’ll be times where he felt like _shit,_ but he never wished to show it. So, he would let a tear fall from his eyes and that’ll be the end of it. He was taught that emotions were a disease that made you weak and vulnerable. James was trained to think that _emotions_ aren’t something that should be bragged about and they should be hidden inside you, bottled up and never shown. 

But, right now, he _trusted_ Tony. So much _trust_ that it was overwhelming him. It _was_ making him vulnerable and he understood it, but it was _Tony_ comforting him. Tony quickly returned the favor, placing his hands on James’ back and drawing imaginary circles on it. He could feel the heat radiating off Tony, something that he felt that was familiar. It clicked in his mind soon after, noticing that _heat_ was the same thing that caused him _joy_ a few minutes before. The heat that comforted him in the morning was _Tony_ . It was always _Tony_.

James cried longer, holding on to Tony for a little while longer. It’s only been a few weeks (even if there were times James thought they'd been together for years) and they’ve been getting along fine. “Be safe, please. I need you back, Tony. Please,” He whispered, not leaving the comfort of his touch. He wanted something to hold on to, at least to ground himself from the spirling questions in his mind.

“I… I’ll always be there for you. I’ll be safe.” 

_Promise..._

_He didn’t promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! Leave kudos and comments! Hoped you enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but there it is, as guaranteed. This begins with Steve’s point of view, so that’s new. Enjoy!!

Steve walked onto the main floor, an angry expression overtaking his face. A tired face was not one of his strongest suits, but who the hell cares anymore? Bucky was missing from his life, his _friend_ kidnapped him, and he hasn’t slept for weeks. He was glad the serum prevented him from dying of insomnia. 

He hasn’t been able to find any clues, _nothing_ , that could bring him back to Bucky. It’s been weeks and nothing appeared. It was boiling Steve’s blood. If he doesn't get Bucky soon, he will go insane. The earth rotated, the heat surged through the city, yet _nothing_ felt normal anymore. All he wanted was _Bucky_ , the person that he’s fought for since the beginning of time. His lover, the person that he assumed dead, Steve wanted Bucky there with him.

His mind always brought the idea that he was dead, somewhere in a ditch, buried deep in the dirt. All he could see is Stark killing him in favor of his own guilt. He could picture Bucky’s screams, dark and powerful, while Tony tortures him, bit by bit. Every single time, he could see Bucky crying over the pain he could be endorsing. Steve could feel Bucky’s presents haunting his mind because it all reminds him of his _failure._ The failure he possessed because he couldn’t do the simple things that made him _a leader._ He couldn’t protect his fellow companion from the enemy, so how did Steve think he would be fit for a leader. The enemy was _right under his nose._

He trusted Tony. Steve brought back his friend _because_ he trusted Tony. It felt heart-wrenching knowing that his so-called _friend_ was such a traitor. Steve gave him a second chance _(even if it were Tony that wanted that second chance gone. He barely wanted them back in the tower_ _)_ and begged him to forgive and forget. Now, Tony has his _lover_ , and (could be) is hurting him. Once he finds them, he won’t stop until Stark is _dead_. He reassures it.

Steve walked down the meeting room, where everyone was gawking at the screens in front of them. The vibe was vivid. Everybody in the room was either depressed or angry, there was no in-between. The others could be enjoying the weather outside, instead, they were inside looking at the screens in front of them. You could feel the hatred growing from the dozens of members that were researching and reading the information. They could be on beaches, or spending time with their families, instead, they were working on finding a person that doesn’t want to be found. 

Wanda sat down in a small corner, curled up into a ball and crying softly. Steve let her take a break because he knew everything was _traumatizing._ Bucky and Wanda never got along, which was prominent during the time Bucky was there. Bucky would always argue about the bedroom arrangements and her using her magic. Wanda didn’t like him either, arguing about the liberty she wants so that she could use her powers, the nicknames Bucky would call her, and the death stares Bucky gives here. So, they argue too much for their own good. But, seeing Tony take Bucky really did scar her. He did something to her, something that not even Wanda could get over.

“What do we have here?” Steve asked, pulling a chair next to Natasha. Natasha looked up at the soldier and stretched her limbs. She looked tired, but that was something that all of the avengers that were left felt.

Natasha, on the other hand, was done. She was done with the bullshit that Steve was insinuating with Stark. She believed that Stark is a lot of things, but a kidnapper is not one of them. The guy went through traumatizing shit, that was for sure. But, he couldn’t and _wouldn’t_ be able to torture a guy that went through so much. Stark would just see Bucky’s (?) face and instantly fall apart. There is also physical proof that Stark took him away because he fell from the building. There is also proof that he _saved Bucky_ (or James, she wasn’t sure who he was yet) from Wanda. The video and the audio were processed three times and there were no cuts or edits.

She was pretty sure that Steve was blinded by Wanda’s magic, influencing him to think that Stark was the culprit. There was proof right in front of him, yet Steve didn’t want to acknowledge it. Natasha had her suspicions and Wanda was her primary one. She loved Wanda like a little sister, but she was being very suspicious. It was sending her into overdrive, because _who would she believe?_ Wanda was crying too much over this, over everything that happened. But, Stark only has the suit, _so what would he do to torment her? Was it all Wanda? Or did Stark do something?_ Everything was spiraling into theories and conspiracy, but Natasha kept it in. Until she understands the situation, she will keep calm and not provoke the enemy. _Whoever that was._

“His debit card was used yesterday, but no sign of him anywhere in the area. Friday still refuses to help because it says that _her boss did nothing wrong_ ,” Natasha answered, slightly eyeing Steve, “Look, for what it’s worth, I don’t think Tony is doing this for his benefit. Why would he-”

“Natasha, please shut up. Tony did this and he will pay. Do you see how traumatized Wanda is right now, it’s all because of Stark.”

Natasha glanced at Wanda, then gradually looked back at Steve, “Like I was saying, why would he do it?” She stood up from her chair, “He’s spent almost two years with the guy and there was nothing that hinted hate. Tony moved on from it, he understood that Bucky wasn’t under control. He told us that there wasn’t any bad blood between them. There is also no way he would put the company that Pepper is leading, his money, and his _life_ in jeopardy. Not only that, but all of the evidence Friday is giving us is proving-”

“That _thing_ is picking sides! It is supposed to be unbiased, but don’t you see what it is doing now? It’s choosing sides!”

“Rogers, if I am indeed biased, you are biased as well,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke up, the first time since everything happened. “There is concrete proof that my boss did nothing to provoke this accident. Now, if you are not willing to believe the proof in front of you, means that you are admittedly biased. Maximoff was there with James-” 

“She did not do the things you are blaming her to do!” Steve shouted on top of F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s response. He slammed his hands on the desk in front of him, slowly looking at F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s camera. He was right, _he was always right._ There was something that Tony did to provoke Wanda.

He _hated_ Tony. Steve hated that he was getting away with it. He hated that Bucky was in his hands. He hated the fact that his partners are choosing Tony over him. He _despised_ Stark. There was nothing better than picturing Stark _dying_ in his arms. There wasn’t anything more pleasing than portraying Stark's last words, because he _deserves it. He deserves everything coming his way._

“Hey man, calm yourself for a second,” Sam said, sighing softly, “I know you’re agitated right now, but aren’t you looking at the facts? It’s been weeks since this happened and if Stark actually killed him, wouldn’t he make it a big deal? He’s a diva at heart, man,” That sentence made Steve’s ears light up in flames, “His AI showed us the recordings, we ran it with S.H.I.E.L.D. tech and nothing were edited. I think Wanda did it, Steve. You need to acknowledge it.” Sam said this quietly, not wanting to let Wanda hear. He’s always been afraid of that girl. She could _torment_ his mind, _why wouldn’t he be afraid?_

“No! No, and that’s final. You are under my leadership and I am advising you to listen. Find Bucky or find Tony. I will take care of the rest.” 

Steve never wanted it. The blood and deception between Steve and Tony wasn’t something that he wanted. But, that is what Tony won when he decided to mess with Bucky. _His Bucky_. 

Bucky wasn’t like he used to be, at least when he was with the rest of the team. Even when he was with him, there was always something wrong. Steve noticed that there were all sorts of ways that this Bucky wasn’t like before. Wanda advised Steve of the probability of Winter Soldier coming back and she reassured him that she was able to liberate it. She told him that Bucky could become _normal_ again, under her magic of course. The poor kid only wanted to help and of course, Steve wanted her to do it. He wanted Bucky to become _his_. He wanted Bucky to remember the wholesome times together and slowly fall in love with him again.

_Was that wrong?_ Steve believed it wasn’t. It wasn’t wrong to seek help, knowing that Bucky wasn’t himself lately. The only time he could remember Bucky like his normal self was when Steve first helped him. The day they first went on a mission together. But, after the mission, he never acted like himself. He never smiled the way he used to. Bucky never made jokes and looked depressed out of his mind. Then, Bucky told him that he didn’t want to go on missions. Steve reassured him that Bucky _wanted_ to go, and he went without much hesitation. But, he didn’t smile when he completed it. There were no more quirky remarks after the missions and he spent two years depressed and lonely. He wanted to be alone and never wanted to participate in _family_ activities. One day, he told him that he wanted to be called _James,_ a name that Bucky hated before _._

So, _why wouldn’t he want Bucky back to normal?_

“Steve-”

“That was an order!” He looked at one of the monitors, looking for something, _anything_ , that could help. He was desperate. Steve was afraid. 

  
  


  * •••••••••••••



_One Month_ . _One fucking month._ It’s been one month and nothing happened. Tony’s remarks and quiet stares weren’t there with him, and Bucky was about to lose it. He didn’t have Tony’s facials expressions, or soft giggles accompanying him. Nothing about Tony was companioning James. That’s all because he was still not home. Tony was still not there, with him.

There were times where James could hear the code, echo through the spacious rooms, but they were mostly out of date. He would hear it at least twice in one day, but they became less and less throughout time. He would ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. for some type of lead, but she would respond with a short and sweet answer. James _hated it._ He hated every second of it. _Maybe I scared him away?_

James would spend most of his time looking at the front entrance, a kitchen knife in his hand, just in case there was someone else there that wasn’t Tony. But, James spends every day imagining and wishing for Tony’s return. Not only because of Tony, but because of Peter. Sometimes he forgets that the teenager is coming with Tony. He also forgets that Peter will be in danger as well, but he’s been trying to fight the negative thoughts. The negative thoughts that infiltrated his mind were changed into positive ones. When they come back ( _if they come back)_ James would have someone else to talk to. He will have Peter, a young mind that is used to the new _techy_ talk. He will be there for conversations about the 21st century, and James couldn’t be more excited. Peter would be there when Tony decides to ignore him again. So, he was ecstatic. 

The last thing that Tony said to him impacted him a lot. He tried to focus on himself and it was surprisingly easier doing it alone. Tony left facial care in the bathroom cabinets, weights, and working out equipment in the living room before he left. And, the minute James understood the instructions, and took the time to take care of his skin, he loved it. He couldn’t last a whole day without washing his face with a cleanser and cold water. James’ skin was _glowing_ with hydration and _whatnot._ James’ would admire his skin in the mirror, because it would glow when the sun hit it. It gave him so much joy knowing that he looked good. He noticed that he didn’t look so abandoned anymore and it always brought a smile to his face. His hair was fluffy and clean, and his skin was healthy. James fell in love with healthy routines and it was all because of Tony.

He tried cooking foods as well and with the help of F.R.I.D.A.Y, he was making _amazing_ foods in the kitchen. Something about cooking foods, smelling the spices and the aroma in the air, made him so _cheery._ It was hard working on recipes with a metal arm, but James managed. F.R.I.D.A.Y. told him that this might be his _hobby._ He didn’t know what a _hobby_ was, but he figured it had something to do with cooking.

Even if he found peace, there was this nagging feeling in the back of his head. _He’s not coming back._ The ex-assassin pushed that thought away. F.R.I.D.A.Y. was still on, there were no surprise visits from the Rogues, and he still has the code ringing through his ears that show him Tony is safe. _He was safe. He’s coming back._

The gray clouds covered the sky and the moon shined through, hitting the window. James sat down on the couch, crossing his legs and grabbing the control. He made his batch of popcorn and settled down to watch a movie. Looking forward to it, he placed a small smile on his lips and began to search for the movie. He figured it’ll be good to watch something from the 21st century, just so that he could catch up. F.R.I.D.A.Y. made up a list of all the movies that could fascinate James. Now, he was winding down with a face mask, popcorn, and a soda. It was _lovely._

Ten minutes into the movie, he hears a knock on the entrance. _What was that?_ James has always been paranoid, something that was not hidden from the public. Being paranoid is good because it helps you look at all of the dangers that are hidden in the dark. It also helped a lot in missions.

James walked towards the window, peeking carefully outside. He didn’t see anything out there, only a few rabbits and squirrels. They always wander around the front yard and disappear into the forest. Animals that were so careless made James feel bad. The cute animals didn’t know about the prey that lurked in the shadows. Those animals, dirty and hungry, wanting to eat the cute animals and leave them for _dead._

He concluded it was the breeze hitting the door, so he didn’t try to worry about that too much. _Nobody knows I’m here. Friday would’ve told me._ He stood cautiously, still paranoid to start the movie. There was a slight pause, then another knock arose from the door. _Shit, who is that?_ This time, it was louder, knocking the air in James’ lungs. Jingles of the keys echoed in James’ ears, then the door opened. _Nobody had keys except_ … _Friday would’ve told me he was here. What if Tony did get captured? Did he give Steve the keys? Did he give me away? He wouldn’t do that._ He declined the negative thoughts that his voices exclaimed. _Tony would never do that to him. Never._

Just in case, James stayed alert. _There’s no time to get the knife from the kitchen. Hand to hand combat._ He walked towards the entrance, a murderous strut towards the open door. His eyes were pierced and his back was straight. He was ready for combat if he needed it. 

] Although he was tough looking, there was something different in his face. He had _hope._ He hoped it was Tony with Peter, but there were always the other voices talking. It still had his murder aura, but it was soft and gentle, in a way. Not only because he had _hope, but_ it was also because James forgot that he had his face mask on. The murderous assassin looked _soft_. Childish even. But there was something that showed that he could fuck up somebody’s life with a flick of his metal wrist. 

“Miss me?”

James froze, his face draining color. “Tony…” He whispered, eyes examining Tony. _He’s prettier than before._ He looked good, all washed up and cleaned. Yet, his stubble was overgrown and he had gray hairs all over his head. He looked _perfect._ ( **Not** that James thought he was perfect. But, the guy could dream.) He did look tired, but his eyes still had the soft glow that he first encountered in the beginning. He looked at his side, looking at the familiar face next to him, _Peter_. The kid was laughing softly at Tony’s side, confusing James a _tad bit. Why is he laughing?_ Maybe it was the fact that James was smiling like a dufus. Either way, James was feeling a _bit_ insecure.

“Hello, Mr. Barnes,” The kid said, barely holding his laugh. Tony smacked Peter’s head playfully, laughing with his companion. _What are they laughing at?_ _He’s beautiful._ **Not** beautiful, just handsome. 

“So, are you letting us in? Or do we have to wait until you’re done with your spa treatment?”

_Spa treatment?_ James arched his brow upwards, showing his confusion to his _guests. What the hell is a spa?_ James recalled learning about a spa, but he couldn’t remember what that was. Shrugging it off, he spoke, “What are you talking about?”

Peter laughed uncontrollably, “Mr. Barnes, he’s talking about your… face mask.”

_Oh fuck._ James wanted to die. He completely forgot that he had it on. He thought he looked scary, but instead he looked like an idiot that takes care of his skin. _Hey, no shame in that._ But, still, a _bit_ embarrassing. “Oh,” James’ face became red with embarrassment, but it wasn’t like they could see, “Just come in.”

Peter was still giggling as he entered the place. He looked ecstatic when he saw the little drawings throughout the walls. It looked homier than before. James could see that Tony saw it too because he smiled widely at the place. After Tony left, F.R.I.D.A.Y. warned him of the art supplies that Tony left in the basement. After some consideration, he changed the colors of the walls to beige. (He was tired of white.) He painted his room a light green color, _just because he wanted to._ He was bored for the whole month, so he drew small portraits with the markers Tony left and hung them up through the empty spaces. Of course, he asked for permission from F.R.I.D.A.Y. “Kid, take your things into the room. Friday will show you the way.” Peter nodded and walked to where he was directed. “So, are you going to give me one, or you’ll hog it?”

“Just so I’m clear, you’re talking about the face mask, right?” James smiled widely, feeling the mask tighten around his face.

“Of course I am.”

James directs him to the bathroom, watching Tony slowly glance at all of the small drawings. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t professional either. James was just _tired_ of seeing blank walls all over the place. He crouched so that he could reach the bottle, “Where were you, Tony? You said it would only take 2 weeks.”

“I saw that they used my drones for their search. My drones are advanced in a way, so taking Peter was more of a struggle. I was also caught by a crazy man in a hazmat suit. He didn’t know it was me, but apparently, the guy loved to capture and kill people. Oh, and did you know that Wanda was and is _traumatized_ over the events. She is the best actress I’ve ever seen. Also, you could not believe how much of a hassle the kid was. First, he wasn’t ready. Then, he wanted food. Fast metabolism my ass. And then again with the running away from weirdos. So, yeah, it’s been a crazy journey.” Tony spoke quickly, grabbing the bottle that James handed him. 

James chuckled, “Where did you find those people? The subway?” He remembers taking the subway once, and it was a nightmare. That one time, this old woman ran naked, two crazy people were dressed up as Spiderman and danced on the pole, and a man dropped his pizza box and ate the slices off the floor. People there were crazy. 

“Actually, yes.”

There was a silence that strung along with them _._ Tony placed the goo on his face, spreading it with the plastic brush that James gave him. James notices Tony’s struggle after some time and decides to help. “Here, let me help.” He slowly reached for the brush, placing more of the product on it. He placed his thumb on Tony’s chin, tilting his head upwards. 

_His eyes._ Honey brown eyes looked at him, making James’ heart beat faster. They had specks of gold running around the rim of the iris, something that James’ never noticed. He did know about the glow in his eyes, but never the golden specks. 

Tony just stared at him as he placed the cold product on Tony’s face. He saw Tony’s face twitch at the sudden temperature change, making James chuckle. 

“It’s been lonely here.”

“Yeah, seeing that you are now a professional cook says a lot. Also that you have an obsession with skincare, it shows.”

“Don’t make fun, I was bored. And you left this for me.” 

“That’s true. At least your skin is flawless,” Tony laughed, slightly sighing at the cold product being placed on his skin again. 

“I assume you’re tired, Tony. If you want, after the mask dries, you could go to sleep.” Something was holding him back. He was being too greedy and he knew it. But, he wanted Tony to stay. Also, he liked the position they were in now. Tony was under him, smiling, and James was there, holding his chin up. He never imagined being so close to Tony before, but now, he hopes Tony never leaves. He hoped Tony would stay and never leave his side. Having him like _that,_ all playful and talkative, made him feel different. _He missed this so much._

“I would, but I know the kid won’t sleep now. He has a weird sleeping schedule. Besides, I want to talk to you. We missed out on a month of ignoring each other.” James rolled his eyes. _He wants to talk to me._ He was acting like a child, but _James really did miss him._ So, spending time with him was something he _wanted_ to do. He didn’t need to, but he _wanted to. Huge difference._

“How is he?”

“Who?”

“Peter.”

“He’s not okay, in all honesty. He wanted to visit May’s grave before he left and the kid was in pieces. He cried instantly and he wished death upon himself. It was hard to watch, knowing that Pete was such a bright soul. Now he’s so broken. There was nothing I could do to help because I couldn’t say _I could bring her back, Peter, don’t worry._ So, I tried my best to comfort him while he was there. He tries to hide his pain by smiling a lot, but it’s noticeable he’s miserable without his aunt.”

“I… I could talk to him. I mean… when he’s ready of course.” James wasn’t good at comforting, but he could try. _How hard could it be?_ He also read about it on the internet. He learned a lot. _There are weird things on the internet too._

“Would you please do that? I would talk to him like that, but I’ve never been good at showing emotions. I basically suck it up.”

“I was reading this article… it’s like a newspaper but online… But you already knew that.” James whispered the last part, tugging the ends of his hair nervously, “It said it wasn’t healthy… bottling emotions and not bringing them out.”

“I’ve heard that too. It’s hard to tell people about the problems that are haunting you. So I just keep it in. Doesn’t affect the people around me.”

“You should focus on yourself, then the people around you,” James smirked at his response. He worked on himself for most of the month, now it was Tony’s turn. 

“Ugh, so inspirational.”

“You just wish you were as inspirational as me.”

“Certainly,” Tony tried not to smile. The face mask was placed nicely on Tony’s skin and made James sigh proudly. He let go of his chin and cleaned up the mess. James got rid of his own mask, discarding the bits into the trash can. 

They head back to the living room, each of them in their own thoughts. They sat down on the couch, Tony deliberately plotting his legs on James’ lap, like before, and sighed, “What were you going to watch?”

“Something F.R.I.D.A.Y. recommended. It had something to do with cars, though.”

Tony looked up at the screen, at James, and started to laugh, “Cars! F.R.I.D.A.Y. is totally playing with you.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s a kid movie,” Tony clearly pointed out. It was an animated movie about cars racing, _of course, it was for kids._ He didn’t want to admit it, but it was interesting. It also wasn’t that bad.

“And?”

“Never mind, James. Watch whatever you want,” He said, a giggle escaping his lips.

“Oh! Cars! I haven’t watched that in ages!” Peter said, walking into the living room, a pair of matching pj’s on. James was pretty sure those were new, and it was because the ticket was still there, peeking out the hem of the shirt. 

“Sit. You could pack your things later.”

“Hey, Mr. Stark? Where did you get the mask?”

“James has them in the bathroom cabinet. I don’t think he’ll mind letting you use some.”

James looked back at Tony, “Of course I won’t mind. Go ahead, Peter. Friday will show you.”

They sat together, watching the screen lit up. They shared the popcorn James made and they stayed there comfortably for the rest of the night.

Tony came back and Peter was now with them. Nothing was jeopardized, and everything was okay. The trees swayed, the wind making loud noises, but they were inside, cozy and warm in _their house._ In their home. James never wanted it to end. But, he knew, _a journey always comes to an end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! Leave comments (if you like it or even if you hate it a lot). I want to improve this story, because I know I need to improve my descriptive skills and whatnot, so leave a comment! If you hate it, say something! If you like it, say it! 
> 
> Will something go wrong? Will James make a move so that they stay like that forever? Leave your theories down below! Leave kudos too!! Bye now!
> 
> Edit!! There were a lot of things that I wanted to show during Tony’s adventure! But, I didn't want the story to get too long. So if you would like to read about it in another story, please tell me in the comments!! Now, an actual goodbye :)


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roLL!! Enjoy the story!!

“Where’s Peter?” Steve asked. He hasn’t seen the kid for days and it was getting annoying. Bucky has been gone for two months, two weeks, and one day. Now that the teenager was missing, Steve wanted to scream. _Why am I losing everyone?_ Bitterness bubbled through Steve’s system, blinding him from reality. His eyes became fuzzy and his mind was jumbled by thoughts. He _needed_ a hiatus. But, he couldn’t stop. Bucky was in trouble, scared out of his mind, without anybody to assist him.

Steve knows he’s aggressive. He knows that people feel miserable because of him. He _knows_ this, but he can’t do anything about it. Sometimes, his head feels like it’s about to explode. He couldn’t hear straight and he was barely sleeping anymore. When he tried to sleep, he saw Bucky. It wasn’t only Bucky, but it was his _tears_ and _blood._ Steve could _feel_ the pain. He’s felt this before, but now it’s pronounced. He could close his eyes, and every time he does, he feels sick. A wave of terror and screams follows him, grabbing him from the back and taunting all his moves. He felt _controlled_ by his fears. **_Controlled_** to the point where he didn’t feel anything but **pain**. 

“The kid went on a run, never came back,” Natasha reported, running her fingers through her red hair. She was  _ exhausted,  _ and that was something Steve couldn’t look over. She looked  _ horrible _ . Dark bags under her eyes infiltrated her face as well. 

He wanted to stop. He actually did. Steve wanted to give people breaks and become someone better to his group, but he couldn’t. Bucky  _ had  _ to be found. Bucky needed to be together with him again. His voices pushed that idea forward, made it persistent in his mind. 

“Where did he go?”

“I don’t know, Steve,” She sighed tiredly, “He’s probably at his aunt’s house.”

“He better be there. He’s a target for Tony’s unclassified plan and if he gets in contact with Stark, we need to be there.”

“Tony wouldn’t-”

“Don’t disagree with me, Bu- Natasha,” He stammered. Bucky would differ with his decision most of the time. Steve remembers it, but he believed Bucky was constantly in the wrong. Now that Natasha was disagreeing, it brought back memories.  _ He just wanted him back.  _

Although everything in his mind screamed for Bucky, he couldn’t help but wonder  _ why. Why do I need to find him? _ It became an obsession, but his mind hated to think that. Steve didn’t understand  _ why!  _ Yes, his lover was gone, but is it necessary to act out like this? His mind screamed  _ yes,  _ but he knew it was wrong. Yet, that  _ thing  _ that is  **controlling** him is slowly taking over, and Steve couldn’t do anything about it. 

“You are becoming fucking irritating Steve. If you don’t listen to your teammates about their beliefs, are you even a leader?” 

There it was, again.  _ Are you even a leader?  _ It destroyed him inside, every single day. Why? Because he believed he wasn’t doing enough. Everything was breaking apart, the team taking sides with the enemy, and Steve didn’t seem to comprehend. Stark was cruel, he was a manipulative bitch that wanted vengeance, but nobody understood. Nobody understood that Steve craved to lead Stark into his punishment. 

Steve was falling apart, but he couldn’t feel it. It was affecting everything, his life, sleep, friends,  _ everything _ . He wasn’t calm like before. He couldn’t think straight. They were wrong.  _ The team is wrong _ , the voice whispered in the back of his mind. Every single time.  _ Stark was evil. An evil that took away someone that mattered to Steve.  _

Steve’s fists clenched together, “I won’t listen to stupid opinions that are in favor of Stark.”

“Are you blind? Are you seriously so goddamn blind? Don’t you fucking see everything in front of you? There’s so much that proves Tony isn’t the villain you and Wanda make him seem. You are picturing him as the villain, even if there isn’t any proof that he took him away for violent actions. Stark is filled with anger and sadness, but he isn’t capable-”

“Don’t fucking-”

“Stop fucking interrupting me, Steve! I have been more than patient with you, but if you keep fucking interrupting me, I won’t hesitate to kill you.” Steve glared at Natasha, his veins throbbing in his neck. He understood that if he tried to interrupt again, it wouldn’t end well. It was fighting fire with fire, but still, Steve wanted to take his chance.

Steve took a breath, then spoke up again, “I want Peter here, now. If he’s with Stark, you don’t know the dangers the kid is in.”

  
  
  


  * ••••••••••••



Tony groggily opened the bedroom door, heading straight back to his bed. He stood up from the bed so that he could use the bathroom, but now he dreaded it. The rest of the house was hot and humid, something Tony  _ hated _ . It was almost 90º F ( 32.22º C) and the heat was going to make Tony go nuts. All he wanted was his cold room and a nice rest.

Tony threw himself on the bed, all of his muscles relaxing at the touch of the cool mattress. He stared at the ceiling with a happy smile. Tony surrounded himself with blankets, listening to the soft noises coming from the birds. It was early in the morning, but Tony didn’t mind. The feeling of the cold room and the comfy blankets covering him felt  _ amazing.  _

Ever since he came back, he noticed it’s been weird. Just, the environment changed drastically during the time off. He didn’t know how much he missed being around James until he returned  _ home.  _ Even if they barely interacted, just coming back made everything so much better. Having James there, smiling and laughing, made Tony’s stomach swirl.  _ Cliche, I know.  _ But, it was true. A month before, when James placed his thumb on Tony’s chin, Tony felt his heart beat faster and his hands become sweaty. He couldn’t get that out of his mind. The scene replayed on his mind like a broken record. Until now, after a month already passed. 

After that day, he noticed James was being more open. There were times James would tease or banter with Tony. He wasn’t holding back, like before.  _ No.  _ James was  **bold.**

Now, he was just relaxing because he  _ deserved  _ it. The slight ache in his heart accompanied him, but Tony didn’t mind. He didn’t know what it was, but he  _ loved _ the feeling.

On the other hand, Peter was a headache. It’s not like he tried to be, but he was tough to handle. Having an adolescent teen going through shit is something that Tony struggled to take care of. Although he was tired, he wanted to do it. Peter  _ needed _ him. But, right now, he wanted to lay down and relax in the comfort of his bed...

“Mr. Stark!” Peter shouted, busting through the door, “The kitchen’s on fire!”

It took Tony seconds to recover from his shock. Tony’s skin became pale, frantically jumping out of his bed. “W-What?! Peter, what did you do?!” 

They ran down to the kitchen, both scared and distraught. Tony’s pulse started to beat in his ears, drowning away the slight rambles Peter was saying. 

He took out the fire alarm before James came so that the fire-fighters wouldn’t find them.  _ Big mistake. _

_ Could the house burn down? Will we have to find somewhere else to stay? Where’s James? Is he okay? Will we be okay? Did the fire spread? Where the fuck is F.R.I.D.A.Y.? _

“I was just trying to make breakfast! And the thing just… BOOM’

“BOOM? You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry! I just wanted to do breakfast!”

Once they reached the kitchen, Tony tilted his head. There was no fire. Instead, there was an ex-assassin that was wearing the matching pajamas that Tony brought him. He looked adorable, a small smile escaping Tony’s lips. His floppy hair and the way he stood there, laughing at the situation. The feeling returned, making Tony want to die. He felt himself forget how to breathe. He tried to make eye contact with James, but he couldn’t. His hands were clammy, a slight blush spreading on the apples of his cheek.  _ What’s wrong with me? _

“Tony, it’s fine. He turned on the stove and it was on high. Peter thought the fire was spreading,” He said, laughing at Tony’s face. There was  _ nothing  _ funny about his face. (Nothing that  _ Tony  _ thought was funny. He did look like he was running away from a monster. Like those low-budget movies.) But, Tony did  **not** find it funny. 

“So, it wasn’t even an actual fire?” Tony asked, narrowing his eyes towards Peter.  _ Peter’s going to be the death of me.  _

James laughed, a crinkle in his eyes and nose, “Nope, he put the fire on high, and then thought that the kitchen was on fire. This stove is complicated, it’s understandable.”

Tony rubbed the nape of his neck, embarrassment plastered on his face. It wasn’t fair. He just had the scare of his life and James was laughing at him. Tony did stupid shit throughout his life, but  _ never in his life  _ has he felt so embarrassed before. Not including the insult James made about his stove.  _ His stove!!  _ “I- That stove is the best I could buy.”

“But, it’s not practical.”

“What do you know about practical?” A loose smile was placed on Tony’s face.  _ If you can’t hide it, embrace it!  _ Tony decided it was a good idea to play around with James because, right now, he was losing. He looked like a mess, he almost lost his shit, and now was all stuttery in front of the ex-assassin.

James walked closer to him, tilting his head slightly forward. He was roaring with a dominance that Tony saw before.  _ Oh hell no.  _ Tony’s mind repeated the phrase,  _ abort, abort.  _ It was too much, and Tony hated it. James raised an eyebrow, “Practically everything. Try me.” 

Tony’s smirk became wider, trying to mask the nervous look on his face, “I didn’t know you talked back, Barnes.” 

James stepped closer to Tony. Tony could  _ feel  _ the warmth James emitted, either that, or it was  _ really _ hot in the kitchen. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

He lost his mojo because of James. It wasn’t fair. Tony believed James stole it from him, but he wasn’t going to say anything about it. He liked the feeling, even if it overwhelmed him. It felt different _.  _ In his past relationships, he never experienced nervousness. He would flash his charm, pull them aside, and fuck or get fucked.  _ It was easy.  _ There was no  _ stuttering.  _ No worrying or slight hesitations. Nothing. But now, it was nothing like that. James was messing him up  _ big time.  _

_ He was too close _ . It was erasing the words out of Tony’s mouth. Tony felt as if he was back in fifth grade, hiding his crush on the pretty girl in school. It was driving him crazy.  _ Is it bad that I want to pull him in and kiss him?  _ **Yes.**

“Um, e-excuse me, but I want something to eat,” Peter said, interrupting the moment.  _ Oh, thank goodness! I love this kid! _

Their eye contact broke, both of them looking at Peter. “I’ll make something,” James said, stepping away from Tony’s personal space. 

“I’m going back to bed.” He knows he wasn’t going to be able to sleep, that was for sure. He was going to sit down and slowly rethink his life choices. Some of the questions being,  _ why the hell am I so weird? Why am I feeling this way?  _ And Tony’s favorite,  _ why am I  _ _ loving _ _ liking him?  _ There’s no way in  _ hell  _ James will like him back. But, a guy could dream.

“Alright then. Peter, pass me the eggs.”

  * ••••••••••••



“Tell me, Steve. What kind of problems could the kid go through? Tony wouldn’t lay a finger on Peter. He knows that he is not safe, and would never try to put the kid into more problems. Even if he did do it, he did it so that Peter wouldn’t be alone. If he found out Peter was alone, he would risk anything for that kid. But, that doesn’t mean-”

Irritated, he interrupted again, “That is why Peter is a viable piece of bait. If Stark tries to get him, we need to be there to stop him.”

A punch came in contact with Steve’s face, spreading pain throughout the patch of skin. “Stop interrupting me, Steve. I’m warning you.”

“Fine.”

  
“Peter went through a lot. He lost everyone. If he went to find Stark, Stark wouldn’t hurt him. Yes, we have a better chance to capture Tony, but we have to keep in mind that Stark is the only person Peter has. Don’t you see it?” It was stupid. Trying to reason with Steve is like a never-ending loop, he just doesn’t comprehend. Natasha clasped her hands over her head. She was tired of trying to reason with him. The next time he does something stupid, she will appoint someone else as a leader. If Steve wasn’t capable of putting his feelings aside and looking at the facts, he was not fit to be someone that leads. 

Every time Natasha talked to him, her patience thinned. If he didn’t keep it together, he was going to lose everything.

“Stark brought himself to this. He kidnapped my lov-friend.”

“HE DIDN’T KIDNAP HIM!” Natasha slammed her fist on the wall, losing the bit of patience she had left. She was  **done.**

“Natasha-”

“Are you under Wanda’s control? What the fuck is wrong with you?!” She snapped, pulling on Steve’s t-shirt. She shouldn’t have said that. She didn’t actually know if Wanda was in control, and if she was, Natasha was in trouble. She was just so pissed off that it slipped her mind that she could be in danger. Natasha was stepping into dangerous territory, without any backup. 

“Wanda’s not controlling me.”

“So then what’s the problem?! Why can’t you see the facts, Steve? Wanda did something to Bucky, scared him to the point that killing himself was the best option,” Steve’s face turns sour, “Stark helped James and flew off to god knows where. But the point is if we scare away Stark, he will want to stay hidden. We need to start focusing on the-”

“What are you talking about, Natasha?” Wanda whispered, wiping away the tears. She furrowed her brows, her lip trembling slightly, “Stark ruined me. He told me he was going to kill every one of us. Everything I love will be demolished, he said. And you want to take his side?” 

Wanda took a small pause, wiping the imaginary mask on her face, and showed Natasha the actual truth. She started to laugh menacingly, tilting her head back. Her pupil dilated to the rush as she leaned forward, “Nice acting skills, right? Got it from you.” 

She should’ve known. That was why Steve was so aggressive. After each talk, he will keep pushing his opinion, even if everything proved it to be wrong. She should’ve done something earlier.

“Wanda, what are you doing?” Natasha noticed Wanda’s hands release a red substance. She looked to her left and saw Steve’s face. His face looked dead, eyes blank without emotions. There was sweat dripping down his neck, shoulders slumped and floating a few feet up from the floor. She **_was_** controlling him.

“I loved you like a sister, Natasha. I honestly believed you would be there with me until the end. You are smarter than you appeared to be,” Wanda spoke, pressing her lips into a small smile.

“I suggest you stop waving your magic around like that, Wanda.”

“You are very smart, Nat. I have to give you that. You didn’t trust the person that lost his  _ friend,  _ and you didn’t trust me.” Wanda waved her hand, making Natasha feel frozen. Her body was stuck, and even if she tried to move, her body couldn’t respond. “I did take over Steve. Although, Steve doesn’t know that. That stupid idiot thinks Stark did something. But, in reality, I did,” She walked closer to Natasha, stroking her cheek slowly, “I wanted to turn Bucky into  _ my soldier.  _ Now, it was a surprise for me when he jumped off the balcony. Although I could’ve  _ easily _ brought him back to me, Stark went and saved him first. Pity, because now I have to waste my  _ precious  _ time finding him,” She paused, “Oh, and Stark, he’ll suffer more out of this. I could feel the anger Steve has for Stark, radiating off Steve’s skin. Stark will die the  _ second  _ Steve lays his eyes on Stark.”

“Why are you doing this, Wanda?”

“The same reason I volunteered to join H.Y.D.R.A.  _ Revenge.  _ I want to see Stark fall, die a painful death because that is what he deserves. I want Bucky to become one of mine. And by the end of this, I could kill anyone who wronged me. I could murder anyone that wanted me dead.”

“We gave you a place to stay,” Natasha shouted, salty tears falling down her face. She felt disgusted. She taught Wanda everything. All of the tricks so that she could make  _ anyone  _ fall for it. Natasha trusted a  _ monster  _ and there was nothing she could do.

She trusted the goddamn enemy. Something that she was trained  _ not  _ to do. Natasha felt betrayed and deceived. 

“You guys killed my brother-”

“We brought you into our team. We trained you! Tony gave you everything! He apologized, gave you everything that you needed-”

“He kept me trapped in a place I did not want-”

“He gave you everything! He didn’t leave you on the sidewalk. He permitted us to go back to the tower. He gave us resources. Tony gave us everything and we didn’t even say thank you. This is how you repay him, Wanda? By sending the murderous assassin flying off the balcony, into his care! By putting all the stress into his shoulders?!” Natasha screamed, feeling her body slowly give out.

“He deserves it.”

“He does? Really? You are better than this, Wanda. Better than the evil that is overtaking you,” At this point, Natasha didn’t know if she could do better. Wanda was  _ evil.  _ She controlled and manipulated everyone that trusted her. 

“Stark deserves everything coming his way.”

Natasha felt her body slip away. Her eyes shut off and her mind screamed.  _ It hurts! It hurts!  _ It felt like hell, burning you, skimming you alive until Natasha’s mind completely shut off. She could feel her body move, but she wasn’t controlling anything. She could feel her mouth speaking, but she wasn’t able to truly talk about anything. Screaming didn’t help either, because her mouth did not match the words Natasha wanted to say.

Wanda was… She was...

  
  


_ A Monster. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some action. Like I said before, I have no idea where this is heading! So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this rollercoaster called "fanfiction".
> 
> Anyways comment about anything! Was it good? Is it terribly written? Do you hate it? Please write it. I like to read the comments because it gives me motivation! Also, share theories about the things you think might happen! Will Sam come to the rescue? Will Tony stop being so stupid and finally ask James out? Is Natasha going to be apart of something greater? How will Wanda finish her "master plan"? 
> 
> Now, don't forget to **comment** and give kudos!!
> 
> Bye now!! :)


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